Whether
you are a believer or a non-believer in Astrology or Zodiac traits, once
you study your own sign and the signs of those closest to you, you are likely
to come away thinking that there must be something to this. In my
own experience, even when I don't think a certain individual fits into his
or her sign initially, as time goes on, I find that they indeed do fit with
startling accuracy. Certainly, lumping everyone on earth into 12 personality
types seems absurd, but surprisingly it seems to work, and work well.

Practical uses for knowing the personality
traits of the various zodiac signs and adjusting accordingly are limitless.
Those who are dating should absolutely study their potential mate's zodiac
sign for clues as to what they are really like. Certain signs are
just not compatible, and the potential for failure is much higher with these
couples. Employers could make good use of the basics of zodiac personalities
to better fit prospective employees into their organizations, though most
are totally unaware that this option is available. Friends, family,
co-workers - every single person we come into contact with in our lives
carries with them zodiac traits that could vastly help us in our understanding
of them and how they think and react.

Remember, however, that you are always
in control of your own fate. If you were born under a sign that is
stubborn, for instance, it is up to you to modify that trait in your own
life so that it will not be a hindrance to you. Remember, these are
general traits, and you have the power to change anything you don't like
in your own personal profile.

Having said that, there are certain
terms that must be understood to fully reap the benefits of astrological
profiling.

First off, each zodiac sign is assigned
a planet, or ruler with specific traits for each planet. The relationships
of the planets to zodiac traits is complex, with big differences in outcome
based on where the plant was at the time of birth. Note that two signs
(Pisces and Scorpio) have two ruling planets. This is because the
relatively modern discoveries of Neptune and Pluto had to be worked into
the mix. A brief description of the meanings, both good and bad, are
as follows:

Sun - (Leo) The sun is the
ruler of all the other plants. It is the giver of life. It represents
the essence of self. This can good, bringing fame and wealth, or it
can be bad, bringing pessimism or poverty. It is the most important
planet in the zodiac.

Moon - (Cancer) The moon represents
the inner self, intuition, and subconscious mind. The moon can be
a powerfully good force, but can also be an unstable, detrimental force
particularly regarding the mind and thought processes, as alluded to in
the term "lunatic."

Mercury - (Gemini, Virgo) A
fast, restless planet that is connected with intellect and communication.
It can mean great communication and "mercurial success", or it can mean
trickery and lies.

Venus - (Taurus, Libra) As
most of us already know, Venus rules love, beauty, attraction, and possessions.
It can mean refinement and culture, or it can succumb to idleness and promiscuity

Mars - (Aries, Scorpio) Mars
is connected with energy and action. When controlled, it can mean
steady progress towards the top through positive action, or it can mean
violence and uncontrolled, impulsive energy.

Jupiter - (Sagittarius, Pisces)
As the biggest planet-type entity in the solar system, Jupiter is associated
with luck, wealth, wisdom, and generosity. Alternatively, it can also
be associated with excessiveness, greed, lies, and selfishness.

Saturn - (Capricorn, Aquarius)
Discipline and responsibility are the by-words for Saturn. In the
good sense, a Saturn influence can mean fidelity in marriage, ambition,
and success. Poorly influenced, it can mean inflexibility, selfishness,
and lack of humor.

Uranus - (Aquarius) Things
that are unexpected will happen with a Uranus influence. Those with
favorable aspects are independent and inventive, but under unfavorable aspects
can be eccentric, stiff, and unreliable.

Neptune - (Pisces) Spirituality,
psychic ability, and intuition are hallmarks of those influenced by Neptune.
However, if the influence is negative, expect deception, illusion, and secrets.

Pluto - (Scorpio) When favorable,
the influence of Pluto can mean regeneration, rebuilding, and transformation.
Under unfavorable influence, Pluto can mean destruction and chaos.

In addition to being ruled by the
planets, each zodiac sign is classified by its nature or essence.
There are 4 Cardinal signs, 4 Fixed signs, and 4 Mutable signs in the zodiac:

Cardinal: As with the
Cardinal directions, North, South, East, and West, Cardinal signs in astrology
are oriented to the seasons - Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter. Cardinal
signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn) tend to be the people who take
action. They take initiative and jump right in They are motivated
and enterprising. However, though they always get a running start,
they may fail to complete projects and leave unfinished work in their wakes.

Fixed: People who fall
into the fixed category (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius) are people
who crave stability. They want to own things and be the boss. They
want other people to do the activity while they remain still, but they will
stubbornly see to it that a project is completed, no matter how long it
takes or who they have to push. They can be inflexible, but will hold
their stance even under pressure.

Mutable: Mutable signs
(Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Pisces) are communicators and mediators.
They will usually compromise and will listen to both sides of an issue.
When they are interested, they will remain with a job or in a relationship
indefinitely, but if they become bored, they will be gone. They are
adaptable, but can be changeable and inconsistent.

Lastly, each zodiac sign is ruled
by Elements, which can be described as the basic character of the sign.
There are four elements - Earth, Air, Fire, and Water:

Earth - (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn).
Those with earth sign influence are well-grounded and down-to-earth types.
They are hard workers who will get the job done. They are not risk
takers and prefer a steady, stable path. They are reliable, dutiful,
conservative, logical, and responsible. They appreciate all that can
be seen and touched, and like to accumulate worldly possessions. They
love the finer things in life and will strive to situate themselves accordingly.
Under unfavorable aspects, they may become greedy and too materialistic,
stepping upon others to gratify themselves.

Air - (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius).
Those with air sign influence are smart and enterprising. They love
a puzzle or dilemma and will find unique solutions. They are inventive
and think out of the box. They are generally optimistic and
tend to think of the glass as half full. They thrive on processing
information and are curious and alert. On the down side, they can
be cold and calculating, not fully understanding the emotional needs of
others.

Fire - (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius).
Those with fire sign influence are self-sufficient, courageous risk takers.
They go at life with gusto, including in their relationships, and they are
by far the sexiest of the elemental signs. They are fun, engaging,
and creative in all aspects of their lives. However, they can also
be terribly selfish, demanding and bossy under unfavorable conditions, and
they often refuse to see any side but their own when confronted with an
issue. They can be very headstrong and will bully their way through
life if life doesn't move over for them.

Water - (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces).
Those with water sign influence are the feelers of the world. They
are intuitive and "just know." They are compassionate and receptive,
and feel everything quite deeply. They are artistic and love having
beauty around them. They form strong emotional bonds with others and
are always willing to help. They want to care for others and be cared
for. They are the psychics of the world. On the down side, they
can be moody and may tend to dwell on the bad things.

In addition to the 12 zodiac signs,
there are also 12 cusps - generally 5 days before and after the beginning
or end of a sign. If you were born within this category, then you
probably have traits from both signs, such as Libra/Scorpio. This will be
covered in these pages too, as these are sometimes vastly different personalities
than the core sign they fall in. If you have researched zodiac signs
at all, you have also undoubtedly noticed that there is disagreement as
to the start and end dates of some signs. This is complicated and
will be explained further later on, but for your purposes if you just adhere
to the 5 days before and 5 days after cusp rules, then a day or two makes
little difference.

So that's it for the preliminary stuff
- I have finished the base astrological profiles and will do cusp personalities
soon. Stay tuned!